Black Magic
by Tez-gm
Summary: ONESHOT: What would have happened if things didn’t go according to plan the night Sirius and Harry met up in the Shrieking Shack? What if the spell to force Scabbers to show himself revealed someone else as the traitor?


Again, Harry Potter and everything involved with that universe is owned by JK Rowling, and no amount of dreaming will change that…trust me, I've tried!

Hi again! This is just a one-shot I did, based on the events of Prisoner of Azkaban…with a twist. The first little bit along with a couple of bits further on are taken directly from the book (which is why they're in _italics_), while the rest of it is my variation. I have no idea where it came from…only that it combines the two Death Eaters that appeared to be scared.

Er, since I am (apparently) one of the most 'popular' from our IMDb fanfic group…I will plug my fellow ficcers FFN addy's! We're all a big team, and generally help each other out when we get stuck with them, so…check out my C2 group.

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**Black Magic**

"_Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin._

_Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face._

"_Together?" he said quietly._

"_I think so," said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One – two – THREE!"_

_A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in mid-air, his small black form twisting madly – Ron yelled – the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then – _

_It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed, the hair on his back standing up._

Lupin stood in shock, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry rubbed his eyes in disbelief; the man in front of him looked like a much healthier Sirius Black.

"What…what's going on?" Hermione asked.

"This…this can't be," Lupin whispered, looking between the two look-alikes. "Sirius, what…what is this?"

Sirius, himself, looked just as confused, but he started to narrow his eyes and bare his yellow teeth as recognition set in. "Hello, _brother_" he spat.

"Sirius, a pleasure to finally meet up with you again," the other man smirked.

Sirius then shot a spell, the same one Snape had done, and ropes quickly wrapped around the man he called his brother.

"Where's Peter, Regulus" he demanded.

"You think Peter was responsible for all this? He's nothing but a snivelling coward. Surely you must have known _that_."

"So were you as I remember" Sirius replied.

Regulus smirked again, but his look was soon replaced by a grimace as Sirius tightened the bindings.

"What have you done to Peter?" he asked again.

"He's dead, just like everyone believes."

"How? The map never lies," it was Lupin who asked this.

"Simple, we switched. We caught Peter one night and switched. He didn't want to, of course, but he had little choice in the final matter. My master made sure of it. As for the map, who helped you make it? Who knew the charms that went into it? Who knew who had it?"

"You nicked it from Fred and George," Harry accused.

"Borrowed, actually. After I heard that he escaped Azkaban, I merely changed my name on it."

"But you're dead! Voldemort had you killed on his orders!" Sirius bellowed.

"I was spared. I told him that I could get him the Potters" Regulus answered.

Lupin then looked over at Hermione. "Hermione, could you please go to my office and get me my potion?"

"It's already here, Remus" a familiar voice from behind them answered.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed as he whirled around. "How…how did know to come here, sir?"

"Miss Granger kindly informed me earlier" the old wizard replied, his blue eyes twinkling madly.

"I…I did? Oh! Should I go now then?"

Harry and Ron looked at her in confusion. Hermione started to get a little nervous, and began biting her bottom lip as she explained. "You know all the subjects I'm taking?" Ron and Harry both nodded, so she continued. "Professor McGonagall gave me a timeturner. That's how I've been getting to all of them. I must go back and tell Professor Dumbledore what's going on."

"And you didn't tell us?'!"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but McGonagall told me not to tell _anyone_. I wanted to, but _please_ understand!" she pleaded.

"Looks like a few of us have been keeping secrets" Regulus said, struggling against his binds.

"You really think you can escape, _brother_?" Sirius taunted.

"I did once, didn't I" he challenged.

"Indeed you did, Mr Black, but not tonight. Miss Granger, the password to my office is 'Bertie Botts'. Two turns should be enough time to save yet another innocent life. I believe he likes ferrets" Dumbledore said, addressing firstly Regulus and then Hermione, a twinkle in his eye as he did so.

Hermione nodded, then withdrew a small hourglass on a chain. She flipped it over twice, and then disappeared.

"It's alright, Miss Granger, you can come in now" Dumbledore called out, and Hermione walked into the room, refusing to meet the faces of her friends.

"So _that's_ how you just appear and disappear all the time!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione sheepishly nodded in response, while Dumbledore went over and revived Snape who looked furious as his eyes trailed across Harry.

"Potter," he spat.

"Not now, Severus, we have more pressing matters here" Dumbledore interrupted.

"But Headmaster, he attacked…"

"Would you kindly go to your office and get some Veritaserum, please Severus" he interrupted. Snape nodded curtly, and left the room, glaring at Harry as he exited.

Lupin went over to the headmaster, and whispered something to him. Dumbledore nodded, gave him his potion and Harry watched Lupin leave the room.

"He's going downstairs to transform," Dumbledore explained. "Perhaps you'd care to explain how you came into the castle on Halloween, Sirius" he suggested.

Sirius nodded and repeated the events he had told Harry, Ron and Hermione before unmasking Regulus. When it came as to how he escaped from Azkaban in the first place, he told them that the Dementors couldn't see, and as such thought he was going mad every time he transformed since his thoughts became less complex as a dog.

He finished just as Snape came back with a corked vial of a clear liquid; Veritaserum, Harry guessed. He watched as Snape forcefully poured it down Regulus' throat whose face slackened, and his eyes glazed over a little.

Dumbledore began asking him some questions.

"What is your name?"

"Regulus Black."

"Did you kill Peter Pettigrew."

"No, I did not."

It was Sirius who spoke next. "Did you trade your life with his?"

"I did."

"When? How?" Sirius again asked.

"About a year and a half before my master fell, we switched. I was considering backing out of my service as a Death Eater, but was caught by Lestrange. She took me to my master, where he told her to kill me. I pleaded with him, saying that I could get him the Potters and I was spared."

"She didn't say anything while I was in Azkaban."

"That's because the Dark Lord memory charmed her. He didn't want anyone except for himself and me knowing about it."

Silence greeted this comment until Dumbledore took over the questioning. "And the switch? How are you able to have Peter's animagus form?"

"A Dark Arts spell my master knows. We were able to switch over everything about Pettigrew, including his mannerisms and knowledge about his friends."

"And after you were finished with Peter?"

Regulus turned his unfocussed eyes towards Sirius and a smirk appeared on his face.

"My master forced him into his animagus form, and let his pet snake, Nagini, have something to play with."

"And how were you able to keep Peter's appearance?"

"My master unlocked my metamorphmagus abilities. I simply changed my features into Pettigrew's."

Dumbledore and Sirius shared a look, before the headmaster asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Did you frame Sirius?"

"Yes" he simply answered.

Dumbledore then turned to Snape. "Severus, would you please come with me. We must summon the Minister here and inform him of the events that have transpired."

"But what about Black, and…"

"It can wait, Severus, whereas this cannot. Please, come with me."

Dumbledore then left the room after securing and silencing Regulus and levitating his body just in front of himself. He was quickly followed out of the room by Snape, leaving Sirius, Harry, Hermione and Ron alone.

After a long period of silence, Sirius turned to face Harry, who could see the sorrow in his sunken eyes.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"What for? You didn't kill my parents."

"I all but did. If I hadn't switched with him, they would be alive."

"You don't know that. Voldemort could have caught and tortured you."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Possibly, but I would rather die than betray my friends," he then sadly shook his head. "Something that it appears I misjudged about Peter."

Sirius then looked over at Ron. "Sorry about your leg. I _was_ going for the rat."

Ron shrugged. "Madam Pomfrey should be able to fix it up."

Another silence followed, until Snape came back and stood at the door.

"Black, the Minister would like a word with you," he then glared at Harry. "And no doubt, you shall also be required to attend, Potter."

He then swept out of the room and down the stairs, with Sirius and the three students behind him, Harry and Hermione supporting Ron.

They all walked in silence, until Harry looked at Sirius.

"_You're free."_

"_Yes…" said Sirius. "But I'm also – I don't know if anyone ever told you – I'm your godfather."_

"_Yeah, I knew that," said Harry._

"_Well…your parents appointed me your guardian," said Sirius stiffly. "If anything happened to them…"_

_Harry waited. Did Sirius mean what he thought he meant?_

"_I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Sirius. "But…well…think about it. Once my name's cleared…if you wanted a…a different home…"_

_Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry's stomach._

"_What – live with you? Leave the Dursleys?"_

"_Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Sirius quickly. "I understand. I just thought I'd –"_

"_Are you mad?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"_

_Sirius turned right around to look at him. "You want to?" he said "you mean it?"_

"_Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry._

_Sirius' gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger was shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognisable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding._

No further discussion took place, as at that very moment, Harry felt an all too familiar chill begin to set in. He quickly looked up and saw numerous Dementors heading towards them.

Harry saw Snape trying to cast the Patronus charm, only able to produce a thin vapour of silver.

"Quick Hermione, Ron! Think of something happy and say 'Expecto Patronum'!" Harry urged.

His friends both nodded and did just that, along with Harry. He saw Sirius and Snape fall to the ground; it was only the three of them against the Dementors. Harry then heard his friends slump to the ground beside him. He saw one of the Dementors glide over to Sirius and lower its hood.

'No!' Harry thought. 'Everything will be fine, I'm going to live with Sirius.'

That thought firmed in Harry's mind as he bellowed "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

_And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming Dementors…now it was galloping around and around the shapes on the ground, and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness…they were gone._

_The Patronus turned. It was cantering back towards Harry. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag. It was shining brightly as the moon above…it was coming back to him…_

_Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realised…_

"_Prongs," he whispered._

_But as his trembling fingertips stretched towards the creature, it vanished._

_Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. _Then, without warning, he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Harry could hear voices as he slowly blinked open his eyes. He fumbled for his glasses and saw that Snape, Dumbledore and the Minister were involved in a discussion.

"How could he have done that! He was locked up for Merlin's sake?'!"

"Now Severus, please. Who accompanied the Dementors to where Regulus was being held?"

"Macnair was…oh, I see."

"But Macnair was cleared of the charges! He was an honourable employee of the Ministry. Why would he turn?"

"I do not think he has, Cornelius. He was merely doing what he thought was best for his master," Dumbledore answered, before he noticed that they were being watched. "Ah, good to see you are awake, Harry."

Both the Minister and Snape then turned, and Snape scowled.

"Mr Potter, as the Minister of Magic, I would like to personally congratulate you on uncovering the truth. Mr Black…er, Sirius, shall be formally pardoned tomorrow in a full trial…"

"But Regulus escaped! How can you free Sirius without the evidence?'!"

Fudge smiled at him. "I heard both sides of the story, Mr Potter. While you and your friends were recuperating in here, both Blacks confessed under Veritaserum. The mistake from nearly thirteen years ago shall be rectified."

Harry nodded, then met the eyes of his Potions Professor. "I'm…I'm sorry sir."

"You should be, Potter. You should be expelled for what you did last night. Strutting around the school as if you owned the place. So much like your father…"

"Severus that is enough, thank you. Harry has apologised for his actions, something I think you'll find that James may not have done" Dumbledore responded, a tone of voice that dared Snape to challenge him.

Snape glared at Harry, then swiftly left the hospital wing, his robes billowing as he did so. The Minister followed him out after giving Harry a light pat on the shoulder.

"How's Ron's leg?"

"He'll be fine, Harry. You have done a great thing with what you did. Not many would have listened to Sirius' confessions, but you did."

"Thank you sir" Harry replied. He then looked up at the headmaster as his conversation with Sirius entered his mind. "Does this mean I can live with…"

"We shall see, Harry. Once Sirius' name is cleared, we will have to sort out your guardianship."

"And Buckbeak?"

The aged headmaster's eyes twinkled brightly as he answered. "Perhaps Miss Granger can tell you. Sleep well, Harry, tomorrow will be a much better day."

Harry nodded and drifted back to sleep, hoping that everything would go well with Sirius, and that he would be able to finally have a place that he could, truly, call home.

_**Fin**_


End file.
